The Swedish discovery of acrylamide in some foods is extremely worrisome. Acrylamide causes a wide range of tumors in rats and mice and is considered a probable carcinogen in humans. The amounts of acrylamide found in potato chips, french fries, and other carbohydrate-rich foods would be expected to significantly increase the risk of cancer in humans.

The Food and Drug Administration immediately should evaluate the Swedish study and test a wide variety of American foods and seek to understand the cause of the problem. In the meantime, consumers have yet another compelling reason to slash their consumption of french fries and potato chips.